Stanislaw LINDA

Stanislaw was one of thirteen children (7 sisters 6 brothers spanning from 1904 to 1927). He was the third from last brother to be born.

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Seven of his siblings were born before the First World War. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Wiktoria Linda took the children to her parents’ farm, only to find that they had fled from their home. They stayed there a few days. By this time the Germans had already overrun Poland, and they were in fear of their lives.

 

So Wiktoria took the children back to Radzyn, only to be told her family had been killed at a railway station which was bombed by Schtukas. It is unknown how many members of her family were killed, or what happened to any that survived.

                                                                                           

His father had a workshop and was a carpenter. His father was also an undertaker and had a horse-drawn hearse, and also made the coffins. His mother had a dairy shop on the side of the house next door, which was taken over by Germans.

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Stanislaw's brother-in-law, Aloysius Wierzelwski, who was marred to Jozefa Linda, fled to Hungry as he was an academic. Agnieszka Linda was married to Felix Gawarzycki, who was also an academic. He was shot or hanged on 25 October 1939. They had only been married 3 years and 3 months, and only had one daughter.

 

Initially, Stanislaw was part of the Reich Labour Service, and then was conscripted into the German Army, in the HQ Infantry Replacement Battalion stationed at Goettinger.  He was wounded and spent some time in hospital.  In December 1942, he was incorporated into the HQ Company of Grenadier Replacement Battalion, and he belonged to the Volkslista III category.  By 1944, he was a Corporal in the 5th Company, 2nd Battalion of the 980th Infantry Regiment. At the time of the Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944, the 272nd Infantry Division to which he belonged was in the Perpignan area of France.

 

He surrendered to the British Army at Caen, France, on 20 July 1944, saying it was his citizen’s duty to join the Polish Army. He arrived in the UK on 30 July 1944. He had recently turned 20 years old.

 

He then spent some time in British POW camp No. 16, located on the grounds of Gosford House, near Aberlady, in Scotland

 

On 14 August 1944, he was posted to the Reception camp at Polkemmet where he was incorporated into the Polish Army. During the war there was a large camp there. Many years ago I was there and found that there were still the remains of the foundations for the huts.

 

Early in July 1944, Polkemmet camp was taken over as a Polish Recruit Reception Centre with a capacity of 21,000 men. The Camp at Polkemmet dealt with the enlistment and documentation of recruits from British POW camps.

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On 20 August 1944, Stanislaw is sworn in to the Polish Clearing Military Office No 1 (earlier in the war referred to as Polish Records and Recruitment Bureau No 1).

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On 21 August 1944, he adopts the pseudonym Stanisław  Kossak. This is to protect him  and  his  family  should he  fall  into  German hands. The medical  board on 21 August 1944 gives Lance Corporal Linda category A - Fit for active service.

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On 26 August 1944, he is assigned to the Special Branch at Polish General Headquarters (GHQ) in England and posted to the Polish GHQ - Training Centre.

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On 9 March 1945, he is transferred to the GHQ Signals Battalion. He is assigned to a Radio Telegraphic Company based in England.

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On 3 July 1945, he is moved to 1st Radio Telegraphic Company, where he would have been taught Morse code.

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The GHQ Signals Battalion was based at Dower House, Stanmore. It handled secret communications with the large Home Army (AK) in Poland.

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On 16 September 1946 his service in the Polish Army ended.

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On 17 September 1946, he enlisted in the Polish Resettlement Corps (PRC) and is given the number 30000381. This was for a period of up to 2 years.

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Stanislaw settled in the UK when his military service ended,  He died on 03 June 1997.

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